100 Canadian Heroines: Famous and Forgotten Faces [Paperback]

"(Emily) Stowe is among those feted in Merna Forster's 100 Canadian Heroines... (Dundurn, 2004) a timely read on the eve of International Women's Day (March 8)."
(Homemaker's Magazine 2006)

"This a terrific book--the rare reference title that should be read cover to cover. Every aspect inspires, beginning with the foreword by Kim Campbell (Canada's first woman prime minister) and continuing with the author's introduction and the sketches of 100 women who left their mark on Canadian history. This should be part of every women's studies curriculum." (P.P. Philbin CHOICE 20050102)

"Whether used as a reference book or for bedside reading, this is a convenient compendium of information on Canadian women, and a tribute not only to the individuals who made the cut but also to a generation of scholarly research that has restored the lives of these women worthies to the historical record."

(Margaret Conrad Canadian Book Review Annual 20050207)

Merna Foster's new book, 100 Canadian Heroines, gives a quick and easy introductory education on the subject of Canadian women's history. A book of encyclopedic biographical references, Heroines is fresh and informative even to the seasoned feminist reader...

This is a book of rich achievements, but more, it is a storytelling book about great characters...Cross-dressing doctors, physicists, actors, Mohawk leaders - you name it, our foremothers are all of these - and more."

(Penni Mitchell Herizons 20050810)

"... formulaic, but it works." (Catherine Carstairs Books in Review 2006)

"Forster's book achieves a unique blend of comprehensiveness, solid historical and archival research, and an approachable style that engages us to marvel at and aspire to the kinds of achievements attained by so many women who have lived in Canada but whose contributions have helped shape North-American society and the progress of our contemporary world." (Miléna Santoro The American Review of Canadian Studies 2005)

"When it comes to great Canadians, women didn't make the CBC's top 10. This book provides plenty of ammunition to force a recount." (Dave Obee Times Colonist )

"100 Canadian Heroines is an easy-to-read collection of vignettes that should show up dog-eared in every high school napsack across the country. This well-researched, well-written tribute to Canadian women is surpassed only by what these women were able to accomplish." "Every woman and every young girl you know deserves a copy this book; and Forster deserves all the praise, for she, too, is a heroine for bravely going into dusty archives and rescuing the stories of these women's lives who should be models for all of us." (Bobbie Smith Thursday Night Cafe )

"I really enjoyed this book's two-to-three page biographies ... Balancing it all with such grace and tenacity, that as a working woman and mother, I wept for a portion of their guts and gusto." "If you know more about Pamela Anderson and Shania Twain than Pitseolak Ashoona and Georgina Pope, then this book will help change all that." (Sue Andreychuk 701.com )

"100 Canadian Heroines is not only a celebration of Canadian women but diversity in Canada." (Ruth Griffiths Northern Visitor )

"... fresh and informative ... This is a book of rich achievements, but more, it is a storytelling book about great characters." (Arts & Culture )

"... the author provides a good summary of each woman's major accomplishments as well as a sketch of her personality, giving the reader a window into their worlds." (Mary Anne Cree Canadian Children's Book News )

"100 Canadian Heroines: Famous and Forgotten is a book to read with great pride and pleasure by all Canadians. I recommend this book as a good read for anyone interested in Canadian history and as a great gift for a young graduate." (Beryl A. Borris Stories in Stone Journal )

"The text is laced with stirring descriptions." "Readers of 100 Canadian heroines will find feminism, despair, joy, and plenty of substantial worthies throughout the volume." (Feminist Collections )

In 100 Canadian Heroines you'll meet remarkable women in science, sport, preaching and teaching, politics, war and peace, arts and entertainment, etc. The book is full of amazing facts and fascinating trivia about intriguing figures. Discover some of the many heroines Canada can be proud of. Find out how we're remembering them. Or not! (2006)

From the Foreword by the Right Honourable Kim Campbell: Merna Forster's celebration of one hundred Canadian women of extraordinary accomplishment has a very serious purpose. Of course the stories of these women entertain and inspire us, but more importantly, they contribute to changing the understanding that determines how societies define the role of women...Celebrating these one hundred Canadian heroines reminds us that Canadian women do amazing things, and it will be a loss to our whole country if we forget them.

Merna Forster is a historian who has also been an archivist and park naturalist. She worked with national historic sites and national parks across Canada for 20 years while employed by Parks Canada. A recipient of the Canada 125 Commemorative Medal from the Governor General, she has been discovering historical heroines from coast to coast during her travels. You can visit her website at www.heroines.ca. She lives in Victoria..

(200506)